


Seared by Serafine

by messymaelstrom



Series: City of Fire [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: X & Y | Pokemon X & Y Versions
Genre: Gen, other tags will be added as needed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-21
Updated: 2014-07-20
Packaged: 2018-02-09 18:36:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1993524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/messymaelstrom/pseuds/messymaelstrom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pokemon AU. Yveltal consumed a huge amount of life and left little behind in an event known as The Upheaval. The story takes place five years after this happened, giving people enough time to adjust their new world, though it is far from peaceful. Serafine City is the region’s largest city, and as such it offers the most opportunities to people in this ruined world. The city is run by a powerful man and his underlings, collectively known as Team Flare.<br/>Augustine Sycamore journeys to Serafine with an optimistic hope to return to the life he had before The Upheaval, but finding his way in this City of Fire proves to be a greater challenge than he anticipated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Double-Edge

A man and his Garchomp strode through abandoned city streets, their body language was tense as they both attempted to look in every direction at once. They had been quick to learn that quiet city streets were often the most dangerous. The man tensed at a nearby crash, and placed his arm in front of his companion, signaling a stop as he stared intently in the direction of the sound. A few moments later, a stray Furfrou emerged from the alleyway, and regarded them briefly before sticking its nose in the air and trotting in the opposite direction.

The man sighed and put his hand back at his side. He ran a hand through his shaggy black hair in an attempt to calm his nerves, “Remind me again, Thresher, did we decide to move to a bustling city or a ghost town? Pass me the map again, would you?”

The Garchomp obediently passed him the pack that was hanging from her dorsal fin. She watched intently as he fished out the map and opened it in front of the two. He glanced up at the sun overhead to the west and pointed his arm towards it. His brows were furrowed as he concentrated for a moment and turned ninety degrees to the left. The Garchomp rolled her eyes, _That’s not north._ She nudged his shoulder to get his attention and pointed him towards the correct direction. The human might be fun, but his sense of direction leaves a lot to be desired. If he had only let her navigate, they could have been here a week ago…

Once he was facing the right way, he glanced at a street sign and busily found their location on the map and announced, “We’ve made it! Here we are in Serafine City!” He turned to hug his Garchomp, but she stopped him from facing a different direction; they’d have to go over the entire routine again if he stopped looking north now. Only then did she let him hug her. When they parted, he pointed at the map to give her a sense of their location too. “We’re right here on the edge of the city. Before The Upheaval it had a population of three million, and now… Well, that’s the population of the entire _region_.So I guess it’s no wonder there’s no one’s around. If this place is anything like Incante, the activity is centralized downtown…” his finger traced a path from their location to where the map claimed he would find downtown. “It looks like we can just keep following this street! Thank goodness, you know I’d be lost in a heartbeat otherwise.” With that, he returned the map to the bag (it took him a few attempts to fold it back to its original small size) and hung it on Thresher’s dorsal fin again.

He put a hand on her shoulder and the duo started walking again. Thresher studied his expression for a moment before nudging him. He only ever kept his hand on her when he was feeling anxious. If she could get him to talk, he would end up calming himself. He glanced at her briefly before sighing.

“Oh, I was just thinking, that’s all.” They walked another block in silence; Thresher was about to nudge him again when he spoke, “It’s just… this is not the way I pictured my life would be. Then again, I don’t think anyone’s life matches up with their expectations anymore. No one knew The Upheaval was coming…” He sighed again, aware that he had just brought up the very event that he spends so much effort to forget. “I still have nightmares about that day. Walking into the university’s labs to find almost everyone – people and Pokémon – dead, no signs of trauma, zero explanation…” Here they both stop walking, “Trying to call my team, finding out most of them were dead too…” He looked up at his Garchomp with a soft smile and reached up to put his hand on the side of her face, “But you weren’t. I still don’t know why Yveltal spared us, but I’m so thankful it did. I’ll take it as a sign that we need to move forward and keep doing our best. I’m sure we can find a new niche here. We’ll be all right.”

The two started walking again in companionable silence, passing many city blocks before he continues talking, “I thought for sure that by now everyone would know my name. I wanted to be a big wig like the other Pokémon Professors like Juniper and Elm. Can you imagine? If people talked about Augustine Sycamore with the same weight they talk about Oak? I suppose it wasn’t to be. I publish one paper, and within months there’s the funding is gone and wild Pokémon are hard to come b-y. I hope when the world settles down again it decides that Pokémon research is an important endeavor. I want to get back to it as soon as I can.” He puts his hand on Thresher’s shoulder again, “Do you remember when we left Incante City? I said I would definitely have a plan by the time we reached Serafine. Well, we’re here and I definitely don’t have a plan.” He glanced briefly at a group of people walking past; though they didn’t dare look back at him. Augustine shrugged it off and figured they must be getting closer to the populated portion of the city. “I really hope I don’t need a plan. As long as I can keep finding people that will let me work for food, I think we’ll be okay.” Thresher gave him a stern look, which made him waver slightly. “It’ll be temporary! I know, the entire point of moving was to do something I like. But we have to start somewhere! I can’t just jump into other work when I don’t even know what’s viable here. If you think I’m stuck in a rut you can talk some sense into me then. I have every intention to forge my own path here, but it will take time, Thresher.” The Garchomp seemed satisfied with his answer and lightened her expression.

They were surrounded by activity now, the few people moving about were hustling to and fro with purpose – a stark contrast to the people in Incante City, whose favorite pastime was lingering about and causing trouble. “Well… where do we go from here?” Augustine wondered aloud as he stopped at the street corner to take in the surroundings. The people that were around him were very suddenly gone. He caught sight of a couple groups ducking into nearby buildings. Weird…

Thresher elbowed him and used her head to draw his attention to another Pokémon and human duo across the street. His gray eyes fell upon a tall man who held himself with enormous purpose. Every single one of his movements, no matter how subtle, was certainly a conscious part of a plan to reach his goals. His red hair was mostly slicked back, styled upward from the roots to hang just a couple inches above his skull. A few rebellious strands had fallen against his forehead; a well-groomed beard framed his face. Compared to the other people on the streets, he was incredibly well dressed in sharp designer clothing. His gloved hand was resting on- “There is no way that Gyarados is tame enough to be out of its pokéball like that. That guy thinks he’s a hotshot but he’s putting a lot of people at risk having that beast out…” He narrowed his eyes, “I should tell him off.” That would explain why the civilians disappeared. Who would willingly stay in the path of that monster?

Augustine is about to storm off to do just that when the Gyarados’s eyes meet his for a passing second, and he stops in his tracks and places his hand back on Thresher’s shoulder, “I’ve changed my mind.” He watches the Pokémon look completely over its shoulder, and its tail twitches in a classic warning of a Gyarados about to lose its temper. The man has stopped walking to look over his shoulder as well, and Augustine follows their gaze to see three people wearing red hoods drawing guns at the two. In a flash, the Gyarados turns its body and lunges at the three, its attack makes contact with a sickening crunch. Augustine’s fingertips curl against his Garchomp’s scales as his eyes go wide; he’s already biting hard on a knuckle. _Arceus dammit they told me Serafine City was less violent than Incante City!_

When his eyes refocus on the scene he’s witnessing, the man has just put his gun away after killing the hooded figure that was trying to run away. The redhead turns to Gyarados and puts his arm in front of his face just before the beast’s jaws come crashing down on his flesh. It lifts the man off the ground as he lunges upward to put his forehead against the Pokémon’s crest, his free hand is behind its fin, and his lips are moving, but Augustine can’t hear what he’s saying. It looks like he’s trying to calm his Gyarados down from its rage… but that’s impossible. The rage has to run its course, people can’t- Well, there it is now, setting the redhead gently back on his feet. _Who is he? The fucking Gyarados Whisperer?_ _And how is his arm still intact?_

Augustine takes the knuckle out of his mouth and watches awestruck as the Gyarados lets its companion wipe the blood from its face with a handkerchief. When he’s done, the beast _nuzzles_ the side of the man’s face. _Since when do Gyaradoses_ nuzzle _? Oh Arceus, please let me study it._ The redhead’s hand (is that not the hand connected to the arm that really should be _gone_ right now?) is busily scratching behind the fin on its head as two people in matching orange suits hurriedly approach him. They exchange some conversation, and the two newcomers are cleaning up the redhead’s mess. _Incredible. Please tell me that’s not the police force. Please tell me there are actual police who actually arrest people here._ Augustine looks around briefly, people are passing by, giving no attention to the situation. _Why am I the only who cares that three people just died?_ Augustine becomes aware that he’s gawking only when the redhead looks in his direction.

The redhead smirks; a man Augustine’s age should be used to the chaos that settled in after The Upheaval. He looks up at his Gyarados’s face, “Cadeyrn, what do you make of this newcomer?” The beast’s eyes follow his owner’s gaze and takes in the sight of Augustine and his Garchomp. After a moment, it nudges his arm. The two continue walking on their original path, no longer interested in Serafine’s new arrival. “I agree; a man who cannot survive here is of no interest to me.”


	2. Helping Hand

“Incredible,” Augustine says to his Garchomp, when he remembers he has a voice. “We leave Incante in hopes of a more peaceful place, and here we are. Ten minutes into the inner city, and three people are already dead.” He sighs and drums his fingers against Thresher’s scales. It feels like there’s a rock in his stomach; he clenches a fist and shuts his eyes. They’ve come so far. It’s too late to turn back now. No matter how bad the city’s dynamics are, they need to stay. Serafine will offer better opportunities than Incante. It _has_ to. When his eyes meet Thresher’s, he speaks with resolve. “Let’s keep going.” His hand doesn’t leave her arm as they trek wordlessly through many city blocks. 

When his nerves finally calm enough that his legs stop shaking, he makes an effort to enter every business until someone lets him work for the rest of the day. He’s walking through the doors of business number eighteen when he decides that it might be time to start to begging. He passes two people standing at the door, the only stationary beings in the cafe. They are dressed in the same orange suits as the duo that cleaned up the Gyarados Whisperer’s mess.

He glances around the busy dining room and notices that the majority of the patrons are teenagers and their Pokémon. He mareepishly wonders if Thresher is out of place; most of the Pokémon here aren’t fully evolved. Of all of them, Thresher looks the most threatening. He pats Thresher’s shoulder and takes the heavy duffle bag from where it hung on her back. He places it onto his shoulder and watches as a Clefable and Machoke introduce themselves to Thresher and his worries ease. If the other Pokémon aren’t alarmed, their trainers shouldn’t be either.

The woman behind the counter is chatting with a group of kids at the table nearest to her, though her words are lost to him under the buzz of activity. Her brown hair is cut short, with a thick braid (likely an extension) framing the top of her head like a headband. She’s wearing a simple black sweater and jeans. She glances briefly in his direction and cuts off her conversation as he approaches the counter.

“You’re a new face,” the woman observes, “So is that Garchomp. It’s trained, right?”

“Oh yes! She’s great with other Pokémon and people. She never starts fights, I promise she won’t cause you any trouble!” Augustine’s smile wavers and he draws in a deep breath, “Yes, well… uhm… I was actually hoping that you needed another person to help out your business? I’m willing to work in exchange for food…” When she regards him with indifference, he hurriedly adds, “I just came into the city from Incante and-” his voice trails off as he regards the Gardevoir that just entered the dining room carrying a tray of brownies for the front display case. His face lights up like a Rotom that just discovered it can possess a television set. He can’t even remember the last time he saw a Gardevoir!

“Thank you, Viola.” The woman says to her Pokémon. The Gardevoir smiles and regards Augustine with a look of curiosity. She turns again to the woman at the counter, and Augustine just _knows_ they’re talking about him through their psychic connection. That’s probably why he’s tried to avoid psychic types for the past few years. Arceus, this is awkward. His hand runs through his hair and settles anxiously on his neck. He’s about to turn and walk out when the duo break contact, “You’ve come at a good time; we could use the extra help.”

Augustine’s face lights up at her as he lets out the breath he wasn’t aware he was holding, “thank you so much, really!” He extends a hand to her, “I’m Augustine Sycamore.”

She takes his hand and gives it a stern shake, “Diantha. You say you’re from Incante? That’s an impressive distance. Why would you decide to come to this Rattata hole?” Her eyes drift to the men standing by the door to gauge if they heard her. Judging by their complete lack of response, she figures they didn’t. Only then do her eyes return to Augustine.

  _Rattata hole…?_ “I chose Serafine because I was told it was a city of opportunity. I knew a few people who made the journey before me, and they’ve had success finding work that they enjoy. So I set out hoping to do the same. I got tired of working for the basics; it wasn’t worth it for how labor intensive the job was. So I thought I’d start over in a new city, hopefully one less violent than Incante.”

Diantha chokes back a laugh at his last statement, “Sorry. Serafine is probably just as bad. The main difference is that here, our crime is primarily organized. But you say you’ve moved to get away from working for the basics, yet here you are, propositioning me a deal that ends with you working for basic necessities again.”

His eyes have gone wide, and he can feel his face flush. Her words give him the same shameful feeling as Thresher’s stern glare. He draws in a deep breath and makes a conscious effort to avoid stuttering, “I intend for it to be a temporary arrangement, just until I stand on my feet enough to pursue a business of my own.”

“I see…,” Diantha’s eyes narrow at the person that walks through her door. Augustine follows her glare to see a young woman at the receiving end of it. Her hair is a cool cerulean blue, held in a large loop on both sides of her head. Her lipstick matches her hair; all the blue is a stark contrast to the red sundress she’s wearing. The belt around her waist has the crest of an orange F, the very same as the ones on the belts of the men in orange suits. His attention goes back to Diantha when she speaks again, “Viola, be a dear and show Augustine how to make our scones, would you? The display case is running low on them.” The Gardevoir nods and motions for Augustine to follow her into the kitchen. As the door shuts behind them, he hears Diantha add, “Do _not_ make any black holes, Viola.”

Augustine smirks as the Gardevoir huffs at her trainer. _Take her words lightly._ The smirk is gone the instant he hears the Pokémon’s voice in his head. He will _never_ get used to psychic types and their powers. _Past experiences with the city’s leadership have left her bitter. Decide for yourself what to think of Serafine; it is not as bad as she makes it out to be._

The man isn’t sure what to think of this information, so he opts to nod and just acknowledge that he heard it. He shrugs his heavy bag off his shoulder, setting it by the wall where he thinks it won’t get in the way. “Actually, though… Just show me where the ingredients are and I can make the scones myself. Then we can get twice as much done!” Inevitably, his memory drifts back to his deceased mother; he grew up baking with her. Like every other member of his family, her life was taken by Yveltal. His hearts sinks as he realizes this will be the first time he’s baked since then.

 _The aftermath of The Upheaval has been very hard on you._ The Gardevoir’s voice sounds in his head again with a statement. Of course she’s still there. Why wouldn’t she keep the communication channel open? _I apologize; you aren’t used to being around psychic Pokémon. I only aim to better understand you._

“I doubt that The Upheaval was kind to anyone,” he retorts. After a sigh he adds, “Look, I mostly don’t mind you being in my head. But you need to realize that not everything I think about is open for conversation.”

_I will take greater care in the future. We are both used to our routines. Additionally, you do know you could just communicate with me through the telekinesis?_

“Yes, I’m aware. I’d much rather hear my own voice, thank you. It makes me feel less anxious.”

 _Very well._ The Gardevoir’s voice ceases as she moves gracefully throughout the kitchen, gathering ingredients on the countertop. _I believe you have all you need here. You will be making a variety of fruit scones. If you need no recipe, then I will leave it to you._

“Thanks…” he steps over to the station she’s set up and works from memory to start making the dough.  Many minutes pass in silence as they set to work on their own tasks. “…Can I ask who the lady out there is?”

_I see no harm in telling you; if you stick around our café long enough, you would figure it out anyway. Out there is Mable, one of Team Flare’s executives. She visits us often on the Mayor’s orders, usually to deal some sort of threat._

“What’s she doing here? Aren’t the two guys by the door enough?”

_Diantha is under very strict surveillance. There are those two grunts always on duty, during our working hours, but sometimes it isn’t enough. Occasionally, the Mayor will send an executive to remind Diantha to behave._

Augustine furrows his brows as he kneads the dough, “I don’t follow. What’s the big deal? Why is she under surveillance?”

_Diantha knows information about Team Flare that they do not want going public. I’m not comfortable with disclosing what it is or how she obtained it – it is better to hear that directly from her. As you can imagine, they are going to extreme lengths to keep her quiet. They know that our café is a popular hangout for the city’s youth, and it would be very bad for them if Diantha told them Flare’s secrets. So the two guards are stationed to pacify a situation like that, should it come up. It has not yet though. Diantha is biding her time to see what move they will make. She and Team Flare have been dancing around in this strange stalemate for nearly half a year._

“I’ve heard so much about the Mayor and his underlings, but is there another gang in this city? On my way here, I noticed a group dressed in red hoods, it looked like there was some sort of M on them.”

 _You saw a fight._ It’s not a question. What happened to having a boundary? Augustine looks over at the Gardevoir in surprise, as if he didn’t expect her to know that. Arceus, she’s a _psychic type_. She’s literally in your head, how would she not have seen the thoughts leading up to your question? _I don’t mean to keep startling you…_ She replies apologetically, _I’m sorry for mentioning it; it seems that is something you’re trying to forget. To answer your original question, yes. There is an organization rivalling the Mayor’s group. They call themselves Team Magma. The two have spent nearly three years stuck in a deadlock fight. They are still at an impasse, but both of them are going to greater extremes to obtain the upper hand._

“Yes, I did see a fight. A lethal one at that; three people were killed.” He closes his eyes and rubs his temple, indifferent to the flour he’s smearing across his skin. “But I think I’m starting to understand what exactly it was I saw. The Gyarados Whisperer is definitely high ranked in Flare, or at least ranked high enough to give orders to grunts. He kills the three Magma members, and sees zero consequences for his actions _because_ he’s part of Flare, who runs the damn police department so of _course_ they won’t apprehend one of their own.” He considers the information for a moment before asking, “Who’s the leader of Magma?”

_That I do not know. Team Magma is not nearly as flamboyant as Team Flare. The entire group tries to operate under the radar, and the Magma leader tends to stay hidden out of sight. Unlike the Mayor, they do not join their underlings on missions. I believe that their identity is on a very strict need to know basis._

“This all seems unnecessarily complicated.”

_It is. It’s very petty. But as long as you do your best to stay out of both Flare’s and Magma’s affairs, you will not have many problems in Serafine. Though I fear your presence here will inevitably pull you into their mess._

“So you admit you’ve seen what the future has for me,” he pauses when she doesn’t have an immediate response, “you’re not going to tell me anything about it, are you?” Augustine sighs softly as the Pokémon’s voice remains absent from his mind. _That figures._

\---

Augustine is back in the dining room again, well after the patrons – and the two Flare members – have cleared out of the café. He’s spent the better part of the past twenty minutes scrubbing at the trail of goo left behind by a Goomy. Why does such a cute face have to come paired with a body that makes such a mess?

He looks over his shoulder for a moment at Thresher, who’s sitting patiently in the corner of the room with her head propped against the wall, eyes half shut as she drifts between sleep and consciousness. It’s rare that he gets to see Thresher without that serious look on her face. _She’s such a good partner. When I get a proper job I’m going to spoil her rotten._

He abandons the mop and carefully steps over the remaining slime trail as he approaches the Garchomp. “Thresher,” she opens her eyes and looks up at him curiously. “It’s been a long day. Do you want to rest in your pokéball for a while?” He tugs it off of his belt and holds it in his hand in front of her, offering the choice. The Garchomp nods at him and puts the yellow of her snout against the pokéball, and it recalls her. He puts the ball back on his belt and returns to the mop. With a sigh, he continues scrubbing at the goo on the floor and tries not to think about the conversation Diantha and Viola are probably having about him as they clean up the kitchen.

He makes himself think about all the Pokémon he saw today instead. What he wouldn’t give to study some of them, or at least draw the attention of their trainers so he could be around them. And if he could only get close to that Gyarados, he could publish a paper about calming them from a rage. A publication like that would definitely get his name back in circulation. Maybe it’s time to take the risk and open a new research lab. Serafine is big enough; surely there’s some entity with enough money to fund a Pokémon research lab...

“Hey Augustine!” Diantha’s voice draws him away from his thoughts. He looks up at her, surprised that Viola isn’t by her side. His eyes catch her hand pocketing a pokéball, and he figures Viola was recalled. Good. Diantha glances down at the floor for a moment, “That Goomy… I really need to lay down a tarp or something for that silly dragon…” She pauses for a moment, “So I was chatting with Viola, and we were wondering if you’ve already lined up a place to stay while you’re here.”

“Oh, well…,” he feels the shame of his spontaneity for the second time, “No, I don’t. I figured I’d find a hotel to stay in for a while…” _I mean it’s not like you need money for that or anything. Arceus, can’t you plan anything?_

“Sounds like a money trap. I have a better idea. I’ve got an empty couch at my apartment, why not come crash on it for a while?”

“You’re really offering?” When she nods, his expression is overcome by relief and gratitude, “Thank you _so_ much. You’re really kind for helping me out. I’ll repay you someday, seriously.”

“No, don’t worry about doing that,” she says casually. “I’m happy to help.” There’s a brief pause, “As soon as you’re done cleaning, we can head out.”

They take their leave ten minutes later. Augustine hoists his heavy duffle bag onto his shoulder with a small grimace. He feels a pang of guilt for having Thresher carry it for the majority of their journey. He stops just outside of the café’s front door and waits for Diantha to finish locking up. The streets are lit by streetlights that faintly resemble Lampents, their gentle light veils the stream of stars in the strip of sky overhead.

He strolls easily beside Diantha as they head in a direction he thinks is east. Regardless, he knows they’re heading away from where he encountered the Gyarados Whisperer. Their silence is companionable, and he sighs before breaking it, “Is it all right if I ask you something? You don’t have to answer it if it’s a sore subject, but… what was your life like before The Upheaval?” The woman is silent, and he figures it’s something she doesn’t like to talk about.

“In the months before it happened, I beat the Elite Four and the Champion. I was starting lose my interest in Pokémon battling, so I decided to try my hand at acting. When The Upheaval happened, I had just began filming for my first major role in a movie. It remains unfinished now, though. The director and producers are all dead. I imagine it will still be quite some time until I can pick up the pieces of that career. There’s not enough people left to support a film industry, at least not enough to support how it’s used to running. If we ever get back to the point where a Pokémon league reforms, I’ll join its ranks somewhere along the way. It doesn’t matter much to me if I end up the Champion, or a member of the Elite Four, or even just a Gym Leader.”

“Oh… I’m so sorry…,” he said dumbly, as if he had expected to hear that somehow Yveltal had not left her life in shambles. “Do you at least enjoy running the café?”

“I’d enjoy it a lot more if I didn’t have all of Flare breathing down my neck,” her tone is harsh. “I stumbled upon some information about them by accident. Given how they’ve reacted, it’s stuff that was meant to stay a secret. They probably would have killed me by now, but they’re too afraid of Viola to attack me directly. So they opt to keep me under their thumb instead. I know the instant I blab they’ll sacrifice their personnel to take me down. It’s the most annoying stalemate. For now, I’m just playing along. I can’t let that café get shut down. You saw all those kids in there. It’s a hotspot for them, the location is great – well out of range of most organized crime. Probably the safest place they have to be together.” She sighs in exasperation, “Let’s talk about something else. Thinking about it too much is bad for my health. Do you mind if I ask you the same? What were you doing before your life was uprooted?”

His lips curl into a soft smile and he looks at the night sky overhead, framed by the tall buildings of Serafine, “I was a Pokémon Professor in Incante City, on my way to becoming one of the big names like Oak or Rowan.” His brows furrow, “Although I haven’t heard a peep from any of them in years. I wonder if they were spared in The Upheaval…” His gaze returns to the street ahead of them. “I published my first paper on Mega Evolution just a couple months before The Upheaval. Hardly anyone recognizes my name, so I don’t think that publication reached many people. After The Upheaval, my funding disappeared and I had to give up Pokémon research altogether and find new work. Which I did, as a factory worker. It was awful.

“But before I did that, I wrote up the official report on what caused The Upheaval, though I admit some of the details are lost even to me. It’s strange – Yveltal still had a few centuries before its lifecycle demanded such a huge consumption of energy. Anyway, by the time it was published, it was already common knowledge that Yveltal was responsible for what happened. So my work was largely overlooked, especially because I’m still a nobody among Pokémon researchers...”

“Sounds like it was interesting work,” she remarks distantly, an indication of disinterest. She opens her mouth to say more, but her thoughts are interrupted by two gunshots echoing through the streets. Her head jolts toward the noise to determine if they need to change their route. Augustine stops in his tracks, as his heart skips a beat and sinks into his stomach. _Again?_

Diantha’s voice steadies him and he feels her hand around his wrist, tugging him forward. “It’s all right. We’re at least a few blocks away from the shooting. We’re nearly to my apartment, anyway.”

Augustine looks over at her incredulously; there isn’t a shred of fear on her face, “How are you so calm?”

“Viola sees the future and tells me where fights will happen throughout the day Besides that, the citizens were already told today would be a high-alert day this morning. Flare is at least courteous enough to broadcast a prediction of violence throughout the day – though I don’t know how much that’s worth.” She pauses for a moment to dig her keys out of her pocket and leads him into an alleyway between two buildings towering overhead. Her hand leaves his as she punches a code into the keypad next to a door, and opens it for him, “I don’t think they even have an actual psychic Pokémon in their ranks.” She steps in front of him to lead him up four flights of stairs and down a narrow hallway, “It’s been a high alert day for the past three months; the fighting is something you learn to work around.”

They stop at a door numbered “403.” She unlocks it and signals for him to enter, and he walks into a living room sparsely furnished with only the basics – a long couch positioned across from a small TV set on an end table. A matching table rests in the corner of the room with a glowing lamp resting on it. The walls are a clean shade of white, decorated with pictures of people he presumes are Diantha’s family (he briefly wonders how many of them are ghosts). Beyond this room is a small dining room sporting a card table and four chairs. He presumes the kitchen is adjacent to the dining room, hidden from view by a wall that separates it from the living room. Two shut doors are on the wall to his left, he assumes they lead to a bathroom and her bedroom. He shrugs the heavy pack off his shoulder and sets it against the nearest wall. He returns his attention to his acquaintance.

Diantha shuts and locks the door behind her and continues where she left off, “You’ll learn the pattern, too. Keep a minimum five block radius between yourself and Flare’s headquarters. If you ever see the Mayor walking through the streets, duck into the nearest building – he’s Magma’s primary target and attracts violence like a magnet pull. The one thing – the _only_ thing – I can praise him for is his ability to keep citizens out of harms way when he’s involved in a fight. He makes sure the bullets and his Gyarados aren’t directed at civilians.”

Augustine considers this information for a moment as he remembers the crime scene that unfolded before him earlier, “Wait. The Mayor has a Gyarados? Does he _walk_ beside it?”

“…Yes?” Her tone questions how he would know that bit of information – he went the past six hours showing no indication of knowing how to operate within Serafine. “What, do you think you’ve seen him already?”

“Maybe,” he answers with a shrug, “I mean, I don’t know how much Viola has already told you…,” The tone of his voice admits to its intention – a passive-aggressive jab at their psychic connection. There are no secrets around a psychic Pokémon. “On my way into Serafine, I saw a man walking alongside a Gyarados. He was tall, probably as tall as Thresher, with red hair and probably designer clothing. They both got into a fight with three people in red hoods, they had these weird ‘M’s on their chests. The Gyarados went into a rage and killed the trio…” His voice trails off for a moment, then he picks up the story with every one of his features expressing awe, “Then the man threw himself at the beast and he _got it to calm down_! I’ve spent my entire life around Pokémon and with my nose buried in books about them, but I have never encountered anything like this! Just Imagine what great research would come out of studying it! It could-”

“You’d be wise to stay away from both of them,” Her tone is harsh, dripping with bitterness. He’s about to ask why, but the look in her eyes stops him. “You’ve just described the Mayor to me. So at least you know who to avoid. He’s extremely dangerous, but he hides it well” She’s speaking from experience. An experience that’s left her scarred and angry, trapped in that little café. What happened?

They stay locked in uncomfortable silence for several long minutes before Diantha’s expression softens. “Look, I just don’t want to see you get wrapped in that gang.”

“No, it’s okay…” Augustine fumbles awkwardly for words. “These are things I should know anyway.”

 “Well. I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. Let’s get you set up and get some rest. I know there’s not much, but please make yourself at home.” Diantha opens the door to her bedroom and returns a few minutes later with a pillow and a blanket. The pillow has a plain white cover, but the blanket has a pattern of minimalistic depictions of the three Kanto starters – Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander. He smiles sadly at it as she places it in his arms. It just had to be those three, didn’t it? With a heavy heart, he remembers the same three Pokémon that he was fortunate enough to have before The Upheaval. But like most of the Pokémon in the lab, they’re gone now…

“Do you mind if I let Thresher out?” He asks as he sets the bedding down on the couch, “She doesn’t usually spend the night in her pokéball…”

“Go ahead, just remind her to watch her spikes and claws.” Diantha responds; her tone is back to friendly, “Will she need a blanket too?”

“Just a sheet is fine, if you have a spare. She uses covers primarily for comfort, not so much for warmth.” As Diantha ducks out of the room again, he pulls the pokéball off of his belt to call forth Thresher. The Garchomp regards him curiously for a moment but turns her attention to Diantha when she enters the room again.

“And here’s this,” she drops the sheet in the pile of bedding. Augustine regards it for a moment, its minimalistic designs feature several different types of moth and butterfly Pokémon. Diantha gently rubs Thresher’s head, “You’re such a sweet Garchomp.” After a moment she removes her hand, “So I plan on getting up at eight tomorrow morning. I aim to be at the café by ten so we have time to set up before opening.”

“Sounds like a plan,” he says with a brief smile. Her plan is his law, and assumes he’ll be up at the same time. “I don’t know how I could ever repay you for everything you’ve already done for us. Thank you so much.”

“Don’t worry about it. Like I said, I’m happy to help.” She gives him a sincere smile, “Well, good night you two. Sleep tight!” With that, she disappeared behind her bedroom door.

“We should get some rest too,” Augustine says softly as he walks over to the pack he left abandoned earlier and rummages for a pair of sweatpants. “It’s been a wild day…” Thresher vocalizes softly behind him, making him look over his shoulder at her, “Hm? What’s on your mind?” His hand reaches the clothing he wanted and he tugs it free from the tangles of the other articles in the bag. He puts them over his shoulder and turns back to Thresher, who’s pointing at the Pokémon on the comforter with her claw. His expression turns solemn, “I’ll be fine, Thresher. Of course it reminds me of them, but it doesn’t bother me much.” The Garchomp catches his word “much” and gives him that stern look again. “I mean…I can’t keep letting all these little things bother me. I look around and it’s like I’m the only one still bearing scars from The Upheaval. It’s kind of pathetic…” He sighs, “I appreciate the concern, Thresher. I’ll be fine.” He pats her head before heading into the bathroom to change.

When he emerges, his chest is bare and the blue of his socks match the sweatpants, which are covered in designs of Swablu and Altaria. He discards the day’s clothing in a neat pile by his bag and returns to Thresher, who’s sitting patiently by the couch. “We really lucked out when we found Diantha.” He speaks in a soft tone as he takes hold of the thin sheet and puts it around Thresher’s shoulders. “Thank goodness there’s still generous people like her around.” He halfheartedly ties the two corners of the sheet together at the front of the Garchomp’s chest, but it comes undone as soon as he lets it out of his grip. That never works.

With a soft sigh, he drops down to sit on the couch behind him and tosses the comforter to the cushion farthest from him. “I’m developing a plan now,” he announces quietly to Thresher. She tilts her head at him. “We’re going to lay low in this arrangement for a few weeks, so I can get used to Serafine in a relatively safe environment. Then I’m going to find someone who’s willing to fund a project, and I’ll open a Pokémon research lab here.” He places his hand on her head and rubs it gently, “I’m still working on what sort of research is compelling enough for them to fund it. I wanted to pursue that Gyarados we saw earlier-” The stern look is on Thresher’s face again, telling him that’s a terrible idea. “I know… It’s okay, I’m forced to find something else anyway. The Gyarados Whisperer is also the Mayor, and I’ve already decided I won’t tangle with Flare if I can help it. So I need to think of another important research project before I seek funding. But we’re going to be okay. I’ll make sure of it.” The Garchomp leans in to nuzzle his chest. He seems so much more sure of himself now. Thresher knows it’s only temporary, and that it will take many, many more stern looks to get him to take the first step towards the goal. But for now, she’s just thankful to hear him speak with the confident tone she hasn’t heard in years.

“Thank you for sticking with me all this time,” Augustine puts his hands on the sides of Thresher’s face and coaxes her away from his chest to plant a kiss in the middle of the yellow on her snout. “I’m so fortunate to have you with me.” He holds her close for a few more moments before giving her head a definitive stroke, “Let’s try to get some rest now, I’m sure tomorrow will be another busy day.” Thresher nods and carefully maneuvers onto her side, taking care to make sure nothing is damaged by the spikes on her body.

Augustine sighs softly as he covers himself with the blanket at his feet. He flicks off the lamp and bids Thresher good night with a rub of her dorsal fin. Shortly after he sets his head on the pillow, he falls asleep.


End file.
